A wide variety of latching arrangements have been used for securing a dunnage bar to a frame in a fixed position to support and retain lading carried by the frame during shipment. These bars, commonly known as dunnage bars, are releasably secured in a fixed position by latching devices that either permit the bar to be disengaged from the frame or retracted so that the cargo may be unloaded.
In one such arrangement described in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,495, a frame assembly for shipment of dunnage includes a frame having support rails for the dunnage, and a bar and latching arrangement for locking the dunnage against the support rails. The bar and latching arrangement includes a bar which in its advanced position engages the dunnage to lock the dunnage in the frame. A latch bolt on the bar engages a hole in a striker to lock the dunnage bar in position.
In accordance with the present invention, a latch bolt on the dunnage bar is movable from a retracted to an extended position, and in the extended position is adapted to engage a rack mounted on the frame. The rack has a plurality of aligned teeth. The latch bolt when extended is engageable in any one of the spaces between the teeth to hold the bar in the dunnage retaining position.
The dunnage may vary dimensionally from load to load and also its position in the frame assembly may vary. For that reason, it may be desirable to latch the dunnage bar in an adjusted position depending upon the dimensions or position of the dunnage. The latch bolt and rack arrangement of this invention enables latching the dunnage bar in different adjusted positions because the latch bolt will engage in any one of the spaces between adjacent teeth, thereby accommodating loads in which the dunnage is positioned differently in the frame or differs dimensionally.
Preferably, the teeth of the rack have camming surfaces to enable the latch bolt to cam over the teeth during movement of the dunnage bar toward the dunnage. This enables the bar to be latched in an optimum position.
The dunnage may be either in the form of flat panels supported horizontally, in which case the dunnage bar will extend vertically, or they may be arranged vertically, in which case the dunnage bar will extend horizontally.
One object of this invention is to provide a frame and latching assembly having the foregoing features and capabilities.
Another object is to provide a frame and latching assembly which is composed of a relatively few simple parts, is rugged and durable in use, and is capable of being inexpensively manufactured and quickly and easily operated.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, especially when considered with the accompanying drawings.